Hey! It’s been a minute, but I think I finally found something worth writing about. A few years ago, I purchased this print from Fleurish Home and Garden
at a Vintage Bazaar. Ben Franklin had it write*; interesting reads begin with purpose. This month, after two years of languishing in some sort of pandemic hell malaise, I have found just that purpose. Recently, I happened upon a TikTok video on my FYP. (for those who’ve not had the pleasure of this time-wasting activity, scrolling through videos about nothing and everything, FYP is the for you page-the algorithm that TikTok uses to determine what you’d like to watch, because apparently, you’re not able to do that on your own). The video I happened upon was of a woman’s voice-over, explaining how she was putting together some bedding to give to a refugee family while displaying her choices on screen.
And so, I discovered
Intrigued, I kept watching…and watching…the videos are short but incredibly heartfelt and places on full display what happens when people leave dire situations where they cannot exist peacefully or thrive. More often than not, moving with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and with little to no resources, these are the people: friends and neighbors, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents and teens, and so many little children who have nothing, that turn to Project Home Again for assistance in setting up their new living spaces-all free of charge. If you watch the video below, it will give you a better sense of what they are all about.
The brainchild of founder Nancy Kanell, Project Home Again has been in existence for over 19 years in the Lawrence/Andover area of Massachusetts. You can read all about the origins in their bio, linked here. Suffice to say that the fateful decision of Nancy’s to help one friend-a domestic abuse survivor-to replace a broken stove, has changed the lives of so many, many more. So why are they on Tiktok and where do I fit in this story? For years, they have simply relied on the kindness and generosity of their neighbors and friends in their surrounding towns-everything from bedding to kitchenware to furniture was donated, sorted and then readied to give to someone in need.
The clients would then go into the warehouse where everything is displayed, and they would choose what they wanted. Once the pandemic hit, the warehouse had to be closed to visitors, so Nancy would make the choices herself with the guidance of the social workers who were representing the clients. What a precious selection for a dino-loving little boy : )
Also, since people could no longer visit the facility or donate their goods, Nancy turned to Tiktok as a means of telling the story of Project Home and spreading some “good vibes” during such difficult times. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine what would come next. Currently with 420K+ followers and over 10 million likes, her legion of donators log in to hear her stories and the thoughtful process in which she chooses the household goods to be given to each recipient. As her following has increased, so have the donations-from across the country and around the world. Bedding, bath, lamps, rugs, household appliances, curtains, decorations, kitchenware & furniture…
if she mentions a need, or it is listed on their wish list, it is fulfilled by her amazingly generous followers via Amazon and Target and Walmart and so many more. With the increased online exposure, the donations are increasing, but the requests from agencies and social workers are also growing exponentially. The beauty of this is that the more Project Home Again receives, the more they are able to give to the over 160+ agencies across the state requesting assistance.
As for me, since the town where they are based is literally 20 minutes north of me, I reached out to ask if they needed any volunteers (one of the great perks about being retired is having the time to give). And they did, so I am now a member of the volunteer army at Project Home Again. The volunteers that I am honored to be working alongside of are so generous with their time and happy to help out in any way necessary. This week, we hauled mattresses, opened mountains of boxes
(and BTW- to whomever the person is that invented those air-pocket plastic shipping pillows- UGH), sorted, marked and shelved the donations, moved furniture, and put together a full display of items for clients as they arrived to pick up their newly acquired goods. The work is gratifying, sometimes heavy, a lot of fun and quite emotional when you realize how those less fortunate are struggling just to survive.
To read more about this incredible organization, please visit their website. There, you can learn how to donate goods or money, request assistance or become a partnering institution or a volunteer (like me!). And as for TikTok, go ahead and take a look at her almost daily posts. I promise that you will be just as profoundly moved and awed as I am while watching Nancy’s videos. In this time of continued pandemic strife and amid all the negativity in this world, Project Home Again shines a bright light on the goodness and generosity of our fellow humans. Have the best day you deserve. XOXOXO Susan
*right
It all started with the windows. You know, the old double-paned ones where the seal has broken and you can no longer see out of them because they’re all foggy? When you live in a very old house, there is always a longgggg to-do list and never enough time or resources. When we finally had them replaced, we discovered…we actually have sunlight-and a view! Who knew we had a water view from our master bedroom-it had been so long since I actually looked out that window… 
… and spotted a tiny sliver of the lake, but a realtor would list it as a water view, am I right? So…new sparkly windows means its time for a refresh of the entire room from the (seafoam green) ceiling down. Whenever I mention the ceiling, people look at me quizzically and ask “was that a thing?” I don’t know, but at the time, many moons ago, I thought it was…
When there isn’t much in the way of architectural detail in a room, you have to create some interest in other ways. I guess that was my thinking at the time…soooo, on to the refresh! I started by painting the ceiling with two coats of 
It is a very soft, subtle gray, (almost white), color that works well with the new brick wallpaper that was applied to the accent wall. Wait, what?! Bricks are made from wallpaper?? Well, these bricks are! Can you tell they’re not real…well, at least online?
And I can tell you that they are a heck of a lot easier to lay than real bricks, or even faux bricks. No mortar involved- just the paper, a level and a pair of sharp scissors.
The paper is very forgiving with cuts and corners-it already has the appearance of old brick so a couple of wrinkles or slices cannot do anything but enhance the look. Last fall, I had decorated the “log room” in our Maine cottage with birch tree paper-also peel and stick.
That was pretty easy, but this peel-and-stick paper by 
For each row, I positioned and leveled the top, then pulled back about 12 inches of the paper backing, allowing the paper to stick to the wall. From there, it was just a matter of peeling and sticking and smoothing all the way to the bottom.
You know the wise, old adage, “measure twice, cut once”? Well, I measured three times, then ordered it online, got started and promptly ran out of paper before the last window. 
You see, I hadn’t accounted for the waste while matching the repeat pattern of the bricks. A rookie mistake, but trust me, I am no rookie at paper-hanging. So, what to do? I went back online to the original website to order another roll, but with the shipping costs (I had avoided that the first time because of the amount I had ordered) it was almost the cost of 2 rolls! So I decided to check 
And an architectural accent piece for over our bed from 
Still have loads to do, and the clock is ticking before we head back to Maine, but one step at a time…Next up, furniture painting. Have an immeasurably great weekend, everyone!
After a quick google map search, I determined that Waco, Texas-the home of all things 
To see those rusty old silos that sit on a street corner alongside some railroad tracks and imagine them as the anchor to your empire…well, you’ve got to give Chip major credit for that! The silos, the bakery and the 
If you are a 
décor and design choice-even the old Jeep parked by the garden center…
that is absolutely on brand and pretty as the pictures you have seen a thousand times.
Shiplap, subway tiles, vintage tile floors, vintage wood doors, metal signage-walking into any of the many Magnolia establishments
feels like wandering into one of their many transformed homes-and it just makes you feel like you’re home.
The 
is sweet…again, much smaller than it appeared on the show…the magic of television…
and filled with delectable treats.
The outside enclosed “compound” has places to sit a spell,
take pics
and wander around the field at the silos where they hold their concerts and “
The 
had been decked out for the holidays,
all vintage country style.
Once I did a bit of shopping and checked out
“Chip’s Corner”,
their full-serve restaurant on the other side of town. Tasting yummy, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare while being surrounded by more of the 
xoxoxo Susan
I baked and cooled the pie crust according to the box instructions.
If you don’t happen to have a frozen pie crust, you can substitute some crushed up cookies mixed with melted butter! (or, this dessert is yummy without a crust!) Before it cooled, I added a layer of 
While that was cooling, I creamed one 8 oz brick of light cream cheese until smooth. (OK, lets be real.
Using LITE cream cheese made me feel a little better about breaking my NY resolution on DAY 1.) Then I dumped in the confectioner’s sugar and a tsp of vanilla extract.
After beating that mixture until smooth, I folded in a cup of thawed 
I layered that into the prepared, cooled pie crust, then added a second layer of bits and coffee caramel sauce.
BTW, if you don’t happen to have a jar of caramel sauce on hand, you can make your own-try this super easy, 
I smoothed the pudding onto the cream cheese layer, then added dollops of the remaining 
Finally, I drizzled some caramel and added handfuls of 
Total time in kitchen, about 20 minutes. Total time to devour dessert?
About 5 minutes! Have a Happy New Year everyone- I hope you’ve made some sweet resolutions that you can keep too! xoxo Susan
The mission?
Such an amazing goal!
After browsing through page after page of cuddly cuteness, I chose this particular doll-
So 
To honor that remarkable achievement, the family of 
were the perfect “woodsy” theme frame- and a perfect graphic backdrop when re-painted black.
For the average DIY-er it is incredibly versatile-cutting anything from paper to poster board to vinyl-even thin layers of wood! whatever your imagination can dream up, it can cut. In this case, I used a white glossy vinyl, cutting each design to fit the wood slices, then transferring them to the wood. Look how intricate these cuts are-that would have taken me hours by hand! (No, actually, I never would have attempted this by hand…) The wood piece for the bear was an odd shape and didn’t seem complete until we had added an extra star from the moon and the stars decals (on hand from the wall mural).
Once completed, I sealed them all with a satin poly coating.
Country Design Home 